Presidential Hopefuls Demand Full Defunding of Planned Parenthood

Editor's note: As this column noted here just recently, the social planks in the GOP Platform are strong – and will prevail within the Republican Party. The press release printed below is just the latest evidence.

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2011 — This week, the Susan B. Anthony List contacted Republican presidential hopefuls to ask them where they stand on defunding Planned Parenthood. Several potential candidates, including Gov. Haley Barbour, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Gov. Sarah Palin, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty provided statements directly to the SBA List (full statements here). Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, former Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Rick Santorum had already publicly spoken out or provided statements to media outlets in support of defunding America's largest abortion provider, which receives a third of its income from taxpayers' pockets.

Gov. Haley Barbour:

“I support a halt to any federal funds going to America's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.”

–Statement provided to SBA List

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee:

“We need to demand this Congress vote to defund Planned Parenthood. Our tax dollars should never be used to provide abortions and our government should put an end to it immediately.”

–Statement provided to SBA List

Former Gov. Sarah Palin:

“I join Rep. Mike Pence and others of conscience and common sense who are leading the charge to end the taxpayer funding of the nation's largest abortion provider. We recognize that not only is our country buried under Mt. McKinley-sized debt, but that the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are least able to defend and speak for themselves.”

–Statement provided to SBA List

Gov. Tim Pawlenty:

“Washington has a massive spending problem, and we need to set priorities. Recent undercover videos show that employees of America's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, aided alleged human traffickers wishing to exploit young girls. Yet, they continue to receive significant taxpayer funding. That should come to an end.”

–Statement provided to SBA List, April 1, 2011

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN):

“…one thing that we can do, quite simply, is to withhold funding from Planned Parenthood.”

“I absolutely would defund Planned Parenthood…people who know the history of Margaret Sanger, who started Planned Parenthood, they know that the intention was not to help young women who get pregnant to plan their parenthood. No — it was a sham to be able to kill black babies.” —www.renewamerica.com/columns/fischer/110118

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich:

“…I want to say I strongly endorse his cutting out all funding for Planned Parenthood which has become a major source of abortion in America.”

“If you look at Planned Parenthood; if you look at the abortion industry…they fight every single regulation every single bit of information that should be given to the patient, they all fight it as an affront to the right of abortion.”

–Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson, February 24, 2011

The Susan B. Anthony List spent $11 million during the 2010 midterm election cycle. Overall, the SBA List was involved in 90 races including 62 wins and 28 losses. Successes included: defeating 15 of 20 so-called “pro-life” Democrats who voted for abortion funding in the health care reform bill; increasing the number of pro-life women in the House by 70 percent; filling the void of pro-life women in the U.S. Senate and increasing the number of pro-life women governors from one to four.

For further information, please contact Kerry Brown at (703) 470-1926 or [email protected].

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“If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions.” —James Madison (1792)